The Costume Designers Guild Awards shines the spotlight on those behind the camera; this is always one of my favorite celebrations of this time of year. Instead of one costume design category with period, contemporary and fantasy up against each other, these awards separate the different styles ensuring that period doesn’t dominate. Contemporary costume is often overlooked, but is just as vital to storytelling.
The Shape of Water is one of the Oscar front runners; Luis Sequeira won for his incredible work on this film. Director Guillermo del Toro was on hand to receive the Distinguished Collaborator award. Wonder Woman was one of my 2017 highlights—both from a costume POV and in general—and Lindy Hemming won for Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy. And I, Tonya (which I am seeing at the weekend) took the Contemporary award. The part of me that worries about the ’90s being so long ago is glad that 1994 counts as contemporary and not period.
This is now the fourth win in a row for Michele Clapton’s work on Game of Thrones and I can’t argue with this. Especially as there was an entire new winter wardrobe for Daenerys and everyone started wearing black. Clapton also won for The Crown last year and it was another win for this show with Jane Petrie at the helm. Very pleased to see Ane Crabtree receive the Contemporary award for The Handmaid’s Tale, Crabtree’s work on Masters of Sex was one of the first shows we focused on here at TV Ate My Wardrobe and we’ve been longtime fans.
Gina Rodriguez hosted the celebration and Kerry Washington received the Lacoste Spotlight Award. In Washington’s speech she noted about costume and acting, “I don’t know who a character is until I know what shoes she wears.”
Below are some of the designers getting fêted and the stars supporting them.
As with the Golden Globes and the BAFTA Awards, a lot of attendees wore black in support of #TimesUp and #MeToo. When accepting her award, Michele Clapton exclaimed, “I’m proud to wear black and I’m proud of the movement.”
Michele Clapton’s all black look is also in line with the most recent season of Game Thrones and I love the simplicity here. Plus I need those boots in my life. And of course there are pockets. 
Long-time Ryan Murphy collaborator Lou Eyrich was nominated for Feud: Bette and Joan, adding a touch of sequin glitz to proceedings. I have a feeling we will see Eyrich at next year’s awards for her stunning creations on American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Ane Crabtree wore black and the #MeToo/#TimesUp message loud and clear. During her acceptance speech she said “It’s a great time to be a woman and it’s a great time to be a multicultural woman… to every brown skin little girl or boy, if you have a dream, dream big.”
Updated to include Ane Crabtree’s speech.
Sally Field took a break from trying to set her son up with Adam Rippon to present Joanna Johnston with the Career Achievement Award. Field was joined by Kathleen Kennedy. Johnston has an impressive resume and along with her collaborations with Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, she has worked on recent costume design spy faves The Man from U.N.C.L.E and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.
Props! Sally Field is prepared for this moment including the pink sweater she wore in Forrest Gump and a blanket with fabrics from her Lincoln costumes.
Doug Jones pulls out the fancy coat stops to present Guillermo del Toro with the Distinguished Collaborator Award. And costume designer Luis Sequeira was a surprise, but deserving win for The Shape of Water. 
Eva Longoria and Scandal costume designer Lyn Paolo presented Kerry Washington with the Lacoste Spotlight Award; Paolo and Washington are nicely coordinated in green (Dolce and Gabbana florals for Washington).
When I spoke to Paolo a few months ago she mentioned the strong bond she shares with Washington, this was something she emphasized in her introduction:
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TV Ate My Wardrobe 
“I have had a great seven seasons with Ms. Washington. You would all be blessed to work with her if you get the opportunity… I’m sad it’s over. Your love of costumes and the process of storytelling, all that is self-evident in your body of work…I can’t wait to see what you do next.”
And here is part of Kerry Washington’s speech where she talks about the importance of standing by Lyn Paolo when ABC said they were going to make a Scandal inspired clothing line, “Not without us.”
It is all in the details and Maggie Schpak was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. Schpak is a jeweler and metalworker and you will have definitely seen her creations on screen including Rocky’s championship belt, Vulcan pieces for Star Trek and tiaras in Black Swan and The Princess Diaries. This article goes deep on Schpak’s work and is well worth a read. And it isn’t surprising to see Schpak wearing some amazing accessories to this event.
Someone get Gina Rodriguez a part in the next Star Wars.
Here is the full list of winners and nominees.
Excellence in Contemporary Film
Get Out — Nadine Haders
I, Tonya — Jennifer Johnson — Winner
Kingsman: The Golden Circle — Arianne Phillips
Lady Bird— April Napier
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — Melissa Toth
Excellence in Period Film
Dunkirk — Jeffrey Kurland
The Greatest Showman — Ellen Mirojnick
Murder on the Orient Express — Alexandra Byrne
Phantom Thread — Mark Bridges
The Shape of Water — Luis Sequeira — Winner
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Film
Beauty and the Beast — Jacqueline Durran
Blade Runner 2049 — Renée April
Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Michael Kaplan
Thor: Ragnarok — Mayes C. Rubeo
Wonder Woman — Lindy Hemming — Winner
Excellence in Contemporary Television
American Horror Story: Cult — Sarah Evelyn Bram
Big Little Lies — Alix Friedberg
Grace and Frankie — Allyson B. Fanger
The Handmaid’s Tale —Ane Crabtree — Winner
The Young Pope — Luca Canfora, Carlo Poggioli
Excellence in Period Television
The Crown — Jane Petrie — Winner
Feud: Bette and Joan — Lou Eyrich
Glow — Beth Morgan
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — Donna Zakowska
Stranger Things — Kim Wilcox
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Television
Black Mirror: USS Callister — Maja Meschede
Game of Thrones — Michele Clapton — Winner
Once Upon a Time — Eduardo Castro, Dan Lester
Sleepy Hollow — Mairi Chisholm
Star Trek: Discovery — Gersha Phillips
Excellence in Short Form Design
Assassin’s Creed – “I Am” Commercial — Patrik Milani
Elton John featuring Marilyn Manson: “Tiny Dancer,” Music Video — Sara Sensoy, Dawn Ritz
Katy Perry – “Chained to the Rhythm,” Music Video — B. Ăkerlund
“Miu Miu Women’s Tales #14: The End of History Illusion,” Short Film — Mindy Le Brock
P!NK – “Beautiful Trauma,” Music Video — Kim Bowen — Winner
Career Achievement Award
Joanna Johnson
Distinguished Collaborator Award
Guillermo del Toro
Distinguished Service Award
Maggie Schpak
Lacoste Spotlight Award
Kerry Washington